http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/issue/feedThe Florida Geographer2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00Ray Oldakowskiroldako@ju.eduOpen Journal Systems<p>In collaboration with the Florida Society of Geographers and Florida Atlantic University's Department of Geosciences<em>, The Florida Geographer </em>is currently published online through the Florida Atlantic University Digital Library<em>.</em> The Florida Geographer is a statewide journal with coverage of social and physical geographical topics. Most articles are related to the state, or feature Florida figures as an important component.</p>http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/article/view/88307From the Editor2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00Ray Oldakowskicshaw12@fau.eduWe hope you enjoy the 2016 Summer Issue of the Florida Geographer! This represents the first time in the history of the journal that we will publish two issues per year.2016-07-31T00:00:00-04:00Copyright (c) http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/article/view/88309About the Cover2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00Cindy Maria Shawcshaw12@fau.eduNotes to readers2016-07-31T18:46:27-04:00Copyright (c) http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/article/view/88310Environmental Justice and the Lawn: Urban Parks in Shanghai, China2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00Maria Fadimancshaw12@fau.edu<p>There is an increasing awareness of the human need for green spaces within cities as more people move to urban areas. This issue is of particular importance in highly polluted areas, such as Shanghai, China. This study addresses the human/nature intersection within metropolitan green spaces in Shanghai and asks the question; are Shanghai parks designed to be people friendly? To answer this question I collected observational data in relation to park structure and use, focusing on lawns. Analyzed with a framework of environmental justice, my observations show that although Western and Asian traditional intertwine in garden design and park layout, cultural differences remain for park use, creating a partial landscape of exclusion. Urban parks in Shanghai provide a welcoming place for its residents in the more traditionally Asian spaces, but not in the Western influenced landscape of lawns.</p>2016-07-31T00:00:00-04:00Copyright (c) http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/article/view/88311Stories of Florida’s Orchid Obsession: Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief and Craig Pittman’s The Scent of Scandal2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00John David Hardingcshaw12@fau.edu<p>Many of Florida’s native orchids, a onetime abundant and valuable Florida treasure, have been lost in light of overharvesting, habitat loss, and global climate change. Despite its diminishing presence in the Florida wild, the orchid still retains a form of cultural capital in the imaginations of laypeople, orchid enthusiasts, and writers alike, two of whom, Susan Orlean and Craig Pittman, have composed comparable yet nuanced accounts of Florida’s orchid obsession. </p>2016-07-31T00:00:00-04:00Copyright (c) http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/article/view/88313Bivariate Statistical Legends: Mapping Examples on Florida Covariance Data using Scatterplots from Open Source Visual Analytic Tools2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00Georgianna Strodecshaw12@fau.eduBenjamin Thorntoncshaw12@fau.eduVictor Mesevcshaw12@fau.eduNathan Johnsoncshaw12@fau.edu<p>Maps representing two variables sometimes use a single combined, or bivariate legend to improve clarity when comparing relationships, and to avoid less convenient side-by-side legends. However, conventional bivariate legends typically omit the underlying bivariate distributions. Using simple scatterplots statistical indicators of covariance can be plotted as points directly on to the choropleth bivariate legend. This allows map readers to not only compare aggregate magnitudes between the two variables but also visualize disaggregate distributions that may represent statistical normality in the data as well as skewness, and linearity. In addition, the covariance distributions can direct class interval selection, or at least inform the reader of which classes represent data abundance or data sparsity. Bivariate statistical legends are tested using examples drawn from Florida population census data at the fine scale of block groups. Practicality is demonstrated by open source software using Data Driven Documents (D3) visual analytic software (http://d3js.org).</p>2016-07-31T00:00:00-04:00Copyright (c) http://journals.fcla.edu/flgeog/article/view/88312Methods of mapping ethnographic data on migration, tourism labor, and health risk in the Dominican Republic2016-09-01T21:17:26-04:00Karina Livingstoncshaw12@fau.eduMark Padillacshaw12@fau.eduDerrick Scottcshaw12@fau.eduJose Felix Colon-Burgoscshaw12@fau.eduArmando Matiz Reyescshaw12@fau.eduNelson Varas-Diazcshaw12@fau.edu<p>This paper focuses on a mixed-method approach to quantifying qualitative data from the results of an ongoing NIDA-funded ethnographic study entitled “Migration, Tourism, and the HIV/Drug-Use Syndemic in the Dominican Republic”. This project represents the first large-scale mixed method study to identify social, structural, environmental, and demographic factors that may contribute to ecologies of health vulnerability within the Caribbean tourism zones. Our research has identified deportation history as a critical factor contributing to vulnerability to HIV, drugs, mental health problems, and other health conditions. Therefore, understanding the movements of our participants became a vital aspect of this research. This paper describes how we went about translating 37 interviews into visual geographic representations. These methods help develop possible strategies for confronting HIV/AIDS and problematic substance use by examining the ways that these epidemics are shaped by the realities of people’s labor migration and the spaces they inhabit. Our methods for mapping this qualitative data contribute to the ongoing, broadening capabilities of using GIS in social science research. A key contribution of this work is its integration of different methodologies from various disciplines to help better understand complex social problems.<em> </em></p>2016-07-31T00:00:00-04:00Copyright (c)